Coca-Cola Enterprises will roll out hybrid delivery trucks, energy-efficient vending machines and a recycling program in Denver this summer.
PepsiCo is establishing a recycling system for cans and bottles left behind by visitors at its namesake Pepsi Center and will sponsor an environmental concert at Red Rocks — being dubbed “Green Rocks” for the event — to kick off the Democratic National Convention.
The DNC, promoted as the greenest convention ever, offers the beverage giants and other companies a stage to highlight their environmental efforts.
But efficiency improvements couldn’t have come at a more opportune time for the beverage giants as rising prices and a slowing economy threaten to take the fizz out of their financial performance.
“We use less materials, and we reduce our environmental footprint, but it does save costs,” said Dave DeCecco, a spokesman with PepsiCo Inc.
The soft-drink sector was believed to be recession-proof. But high fuel prices have boosted delivery costs and pushed up demand for ethanol, an alternative fuel made primarily from corn. Rising corn prices, in turn, have made sweeteners used in sodas more expensive.
Even more damaging, high gas prices have caused consumers to cut back on soda purchases at convenience stores by 4.2 percent in the first quarter, according to Beverage Digest.
Shares of Coca-Cola Enterprises have lost a quarter of their value this year, and Pepsi Bottling Group shares are down around 19 percent. Squeezed between rising costs and the pressure to discount products, bottlers are trying to become more efficient.
Coca-Cola Enterprises plans to have 140 diesel-electric hybrid trucks on the road this year, including 10 coming to Denver in the next few weeks. The trucks are 37 percent more fuel-efficient than existing vehicles.
“By August, we will have the largest hybrid-electric fleet in North America. Denver will play a big part in that,” Coca-Cola Enterprises spokesman Fred Roselli said.
Pepsi Bottling has worked with the manufacturers of its trucks to decrease their weight, resulting in an 11 percent increase in fuel efficiency.
“This has a dual benefit of enabling us to reduce our fuel consumption while also increasing the amount of product we can carry,” Pepsi Bottling spokesman Jeff Dahncke said.
Aldo Svaldi: 303-954-1410 or asvaldi@denverpost.com
